2018 Championship
The 2018 United Bowl served as the championship game of the 2018 Indoor Football League season and delivered a dramatic finish on the road. Played at Wells Fargo Arena, the Iowa Barnstormers defeated the Sioux Falls Storm, 42–38, in front of a crowd of 7,149.
The game marked Sioux Falls’ ninth consecutive United Bowl appearance, entering with a championship record of 6–2. For Iowa, the victory represented the franchise’s first United Bowl appearance and first league championshipsince joining the IFL in 2015.
Game Recap
Iowa set the tone early in the opening quarter, as quarterback Drew Powell connected with lineman B.J. Butler on a 6-yard touchdown pass to give the Barnstormers a 7–0 lead. Sioux Falls was held scoreless in the period as Iowa’s defense controlled the tempo and forced early stops.
The second quarter evolved into a back-and-forth exchange. Storm quarterback Lorenzo Brown tied the game with an 11-yard rushing touchdown, but Iowa answered immediately when Powell hit Ryan Balentine on a 42-yard touchdown strike. Sioux Falls responded again with a 2-yard touchdown pass from Brown to D. Powell, only for Iowa to reclaim the lead on another Powell-to-Balentine connection, this time from 23 yards out. Kicker Sam Bergner closed the half with a 28-yard field goal, sending the teams into halftime with Iowa holding a 21–17 advantage.
Momentum shifted repeatedly in the second half. Sioux Falls opened the third quarter with a 1-yard rushing touchdown by Brown to take a 24–21 lead. Iowa countered with a 3-yard rushing score from Powell, regaining the edge at 28–24. The Storm answered with two more rushing touchdowns—including an 11-yard run by Brown—to move ahead 31–28entering the fourth quarter.
The final period delivered championship drama. Powell found Balentine again on a 4-yard touchdown pass to put Iowa back in front, 35–31. Sioux Falls responded with Brown’s third rushing touchdown of the night, a 3-yard score that restored a 38–35 lead with just over three minutes remaining.
Iowa’s final possession proved decisive. Utilizing an up-tempo, no-huddle approach, the Barnstormers marched down the field before running back Jamal Tyler powered in from 3 yards out with 13 seconds remaining, sealing a 42–38 victory and Iowa’s first United Bowl title.
Balentine was named United Bowl MVP, finishing with five receptions for 91 yards and three touchdowns, repeatedly delivering in critical moments. Powell’s versatility through the air and on the ground guided Iowa’s late-game surge, while Tyler’s final score capped a championship-winning drive.
The victory marked a defining moment for the Barnstormers and brought an end to another deep postseason run for Sioux Falls, reinforcing the competitive balance of the IFL’s modern era.